Reviews

Bloom by Kevin Panetta

theninthbow_reads's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved this. I really needed a cute and yet kind of emotional read, and this was perfect.

I liked how Ari was flawed and realistic, and no one was perfect in here. He was a little childish in certain aspects, but that wasn’t dismissed and it was addressed in a way that hinted at character growth at the end, which I loved.

If I could change one thing about this, it would be to have the end a little more fleshed out. But as it stands, I think it was still a great read and ended up where the characters deserved and showed how much they each grew. I really want a second volume that shows Ari and Hector a little bit down the road dealing with the bakery and running a bakery together, not gonna lie. I think that would round this story out perfectly.

But overall, a great read. If you’re looking for a cute read that still has a little bit of character angst and some emotion to it, this is perfect. Overall rating is a 4.5 out of 5 stars (just bc I wanted more at the end of it), but I’m glad I bought this to keep on my shelves for rereads.

lenny_04's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

raindrop_'s review against another edition

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2.5

Quizá esta historia pueda ser útil para alguien que tiende a dejarse influenciar negativamente por su entorno, como una forma de reflexionar al respecto.
Los personajes son creíbles y también lo es la evolución, pero sabe a poco y, salvo contadas excepciones, todos los personajes caen mal y son influencias problemáticas.

styxnico's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

ellie_pan's review against another edition

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3.5

If not for Ari, I could give this a 4. I really do not like him :/ 


paulapazumi's review against another edition

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3.0

3,5 stars! Mainly because I feel like the story had some unsolved plot points, but besides that: The art style is beautiful, I love the one colour graphic novels. The book is also thick, which means it will take time to read it (I personally prefer books that take longer to read, to avoid it feeling to rushed).

The story is about Ari who wants to move to another city to follow his dream to play in a band. Unfortunately he cant just leave, because his father owns a family bakery which isn't doing that well. Ari tries to get a new candidate to take over his place and this way he meets Hector, a cute and lovely guy who loves baking.

In general, I love the storyline. Yes, it's cliche, but we do need that sometimes! I especially love Hector and was rooting for him from the beginning. Ari is also fine but he had some selfish moments, but tbf, I think majority or maybe all of us have this. It's just realistic that he isn't a perfect human being. I love how those two get closer little by little. The bonds in general was amazingly done in this book! I also loved the dynamics between the families and Hector's friends. I feel like Ari's friend were a little toxic sometimes, and I didn't really like that they were never called out for that, even tho Hector mentioned it and was a victim. I think Hector was done dirty in some scenes in general, I'm also not really convinced with the ending, because I feel like there weren't many consequences for certain actions.

cafenby's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

samjk_w's review against another edition

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3.0

I was really excited to read this graphic novel but I can't help but feel a bit underwhelmed by it. It was okay but i feel so much more could've been done. Thank god for Hector, because with C*meron in the picture, oh boy it could've end bad i think.

I liked the drawings though and it reminded me of Heartstopper a little bit. Maybe that's why I was disappointed !

thebookishmindset's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

thevivifriend's review against another edition

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3.0

Its cute, I liked the drawings and impressed with the limited colour pallet of using only shades of blue.
I didn’t really ship the character and all the while wanted better for Hector. I found myself judging Ari a lot and even at the point when Hector says he doesn’t want to be the fixer for another person in a relationship I was expecting things will take a turn but if anything it got worse. It’s always Ari doing something to upset Hector, apologising and Hector instantly forgiving.:/ idk i really wanted to 2 responsible characters and I got tired of the tope of the “more feminin” character needing the “more masculine” to save them. It’s a queer books yet the heteronormative patterns make their way.
Also I felt Hector was exploited and overworked by Aris family, why is he never resting ?